Underrated Actors: Get Some

Underrated actors are everywhere in movies. The problem is that they fly so far under the radar that no one realizes how good they actually are. When looking for suitable underrated actors you could look at the lack of awards and nominations, but then you'd have to consider Gary Oldman for his lack of an Oscar (he finally got a nomination last year [I know! Just last year! The injustice of it all!] for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). Years ago I'm sure you could have made an argument for the man who has flawlessly portrayed Sid Vicious, Sirius Black, Jim Gordon, Lee Harvey Oswald, and the list goes on and on (also: he is the main reason to watch Ridley Scott's Hannibal (2001). I guarantee you won't be able to recognize him). At this point, people know and love this man, meaning the dude has clearly passed the dreaded hole of being underrated.

We're looking for actors (I was going to explain the lack of females on these lists, but Emily sums it up nicely below) that people tend to hear the name with no recognition, then see the face and exclaim, “Oh! That guy!” Or maybe the actor sinks so far into the roles that you fail to recognize the face or name, but only by the characters they've played (such as my #1). I hired the help of Ethan and Emily to come up with their choices so we'll get a bit more perspective. Read it and get mad because we missed your favorite actor. Or read it and laugh joyously because you can't agree more. (Joe)

Emily's Picks

When first posed this question, my intent was to be all feminist elitist and pick all underrated females, but as I examined those of my gender I discovered that really, despite some extremely talented women in their prime in Hollywood (Meryl Streep, Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman) there are few female leads/supporting roles that merit much recognition. And while I do believe that many actresses from Joan Cusack to Mary Louise-Parker don’t get nearly enough recognition and time in the limelight as they deserve, it is not because they’re not capable, but merely that those spotlight stealing roles don’t exist nearly as often for women as they do for men. Newly saddened by my gender’s inevitable stereotypic screen presence, I turned back to the opposite sex, wondering which men are most deserving of a few more pats on the back. Which three men should be immortalized and often overpaid like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, but continue to go generally unnoticed or less rewarded for their contributions?

Let me start by saying 3 is way too small of a number. I am a creepy stalker when it comes to celebrities and am far too obsessed with more people than I’d like to admit. I had lots of people to pick from. I started with Ben Foster, but couldn’t stop reminiscing about that amazing TV show he was on when he was little called Fast Forward. And blabbing childhood memories was not the task at hand. Then I thought about Tony Shalhoub, despite his Emmy collection, because I really want everyone to know how scary the movie 13 Ghosts is. But there, I got that in anyways. Watch it, wear some Depends. Steve Buscemi was also a contender, but honestly the dude is so hideous, I can’t really blame Hollywood for not casting him as the leading man more often. And so my options dwindled to the three below because, well, I love them. Maybe not the most critical or objective analysis, but an analysis nonetheless. And so, I present to you in no particular order, my top three underrated actors. (Emily)

        3) Stanley Tucci:

I can hear you already, Stanley Tucci? Everyone knows who he is! But they don’t folks. I asked five people if they knew who he was and 4/5 had no clue, and the fifth I had to give examples. If you noticed, my last two men were generally unrecognized by the critics, but had massive fan followings. Stanley Tucci is kind of the opposite. While he has gotten a couple of Oscar noms and even won a couple Emmys, most of his critic recognition spurs from the same two roles, while most of his jobs go unrecognized. And while he doesn’t have such an active mob fans, I think more people are in to him then they know. He is that guy that continues to pop up in random movies, often making a boring movie entertaining and captivating for his few minutes of screen time. If he is in a movie I wasn’t planning on watching, once I see the casting of Stanley Tucci I will watch it regardless. His range is astounding, playing anything from flaming gay designer, to sexy hip dad, to creepy serial killer. Here are just a few slots off his résumé, and trust me its extensive, and I bet you love him in everyone, if the movie is really your style: Maid in Manhattan, Shall We Dance?, Burlesque, Easy A, Captain America, The Lovely Bones, Hunger Games. He is so versatile, and is definitely attractive enough for a lead role. He’s like duct tape: generally unobtrusive looks wise, can fix something potentially broken, can be used in just about any situation, and does the job right. 

        2) Tim Curry:

I know, I know, you are thinking, “And you called Steve Buscemi ugly?” Ok, so Tim isn’t as dreamy as Nathan. But WHAT a résumé. And he also has crazy cult like followings. With offbeat classics like Stephen King’s It and The Rocky Horror Picture Show under his belt, Tim Curry has some serious fans. His portrayal of Pennywise the Clown is chilling to say the least and will haunt me until the day I die, and any man that can film a whole show in fishnets and a thong and have people like it is a winner in my book. Plus, he’s friends with the Muppets, so really who can deny his awesomeness? And yet, his roles since Pennywise are all quite minimal, often making cameos and narrating cartoons since his voice is so dreamy and creamy. But really, I think his creep factor is vastly underrated and underused. I don’t think there is a villain Tim Curry couldn’t do without knocking my socks off. He is just that creepy. And good.




1) Nathan Fillion:







WHAT A HUNK. Nathan’s what I like to call a quadruple threat. He’s devilishly handsome, can act, sing, and is funny/charming. If I were ever to meet him I know I’d geek out hardcore and potentially swoon, hoping his rippling biceps would catch me as I fell. If not, I’d at least hold out for a little mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. And while his résumé isn’t as extensive as it could be, it is chock full of winners and cult-worthy films and shows. For instance, Firefly is one of the most beloved shows of all time, despite its early departure from the networks. Fans fell in love with Malcolm Reynolds (Fillion’s character) from episode one. Other fans adore him as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog playing opposite Neil Patrick Harris, and in my opinion, anyone who works with NPH immediately gets cooler to some extent. He also struts his stuff in Slither as a leading man, making the movie an instant horror/comedy classic, despite its potential to flop more then it actually did. Basically, Nathan Fillion has the potential to go anywhere in his career he wants to go. He could stay small and below the radar, but I have no doubt that if he wanted to dominate, he would. He has yet to make a career choice I haven’t supported and loved, with the exception of White Noise 2, which honestly, we are all allowed to make mistakes, I mean, Nicholas Cage still has a career for Pete’s sake.

More from Emily at: http://3glassesin.blogspot.com/ 

Ethan's Picks

3) Chris Evans:

Has done a lot of shit. A LOT of terrible movies, terrible roles, often recognized as a pretty boy, or one-note. And largely he is, but I think he's allowed himself to be pretty heavily pigeon-holed. Even in the worst movies, Fantastic Four for example, he nails it. He gets the character, and dominates every scene. Much better movies like Sunshine still have him playing his typical macho man, but one with a brain and a wee bit of thought that bring his character depth. Overall, he hasn't had a decent chance yet to show his best effort, but it's there. And it's obvious, even with the wretched crap he puts out.

2) Sam Rockwell:

Will act the shit out of everyone else on the screen, yet he only gets notable nods for crap like Iron man 2. Watch Confessions of a Dangerous Mind or Choke or The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and he will be the only you're watching whenever he's in frame. That sexy hunk of man.

       1) Richard Jenkins:

What a beautiful man. Look at the childlike wonder in those eyes. To date, he has 101 shows under his belt, including one of the best television series in existence, and yet has only received significant recognition for one, The Visitor. Did you see it? Exactly. Delivering consistently great performances no matter the character, this man is reliable and wholly unknown.

Joe's Picks

So I had Stanley Tucci and Richard Jenkins on my original list, I had to opt to cut them because of the Academy Award nomination. I just saw the trailer for Killing Them Softly and Jenkins gets second billing in the trailer. I had Peter Sarsgaard and Anthony Mackie on there, but they're young enough with enough recognition to carry them on to Pitt and Cruise status. Like Emily said, three is way too small of a number, but it's what I foolishly decided on. So here we go:

3) Liev Schreiber:

Most people will recognize Schreiber as Victor Creed (or Sabretooth) from the disappointing Wolverine spin-off. But I think we can all agree that he was the best part of that movie. He was strong and menacing and knew just how much he could fuck with Wolverine. It's not really his fault that Gavin Hood tried to give him a conscience at the end. Schreiber took what he was given and made the best of it. I think that is what shows a truly great actor. He wasn't like Stupid-Lemon-Face Franco, throwing a fit because he didn't agree with the artistic direction, but rather did what he could. Like most of the actors that we've been talking about, he takes a bad movie and elevates it. Every scene he's in gets better and becomes a joy to watch, even when it's nonsensical drivel. He's done the blockbuster (Wolverine), the drama (The Manchurian Canidate. He was the clean-cut war vet going into politics with a dark side), horror (Scream. He played Cotton Weary, the man who allegedly murdered Sydey's mother), period drama (Defiance), action (Repo Men) and dumb comedy (The Ten. Written and directed by David Wain of Stella and The State, as well as director of Wanderlust and Role Models. Schreiber is again, in my opinion, the best part of this comedy. He brings a level quality to ridiculous humor, which makes his part even funnier). He has such a wide range I'm surprised we don't see more of him each year.

An added bonus: Schreiber adapted and directed Everything is Illuminated, and he didn't even appear in it as an actor. I respect when an actor doesn't use the movie he's making as a platform to showcase his acting. It makes me believe that he's really putting his heart into the project.

His latest movie Goon is on Netflix right now. He is a no nonsense villain, who speaks only in a matter-of-fact tone. He has the most touching and bracing monologue in that movie, possibly the best that I saw last year.

2) Ben Foster:

This dude is in his early thirties and he has already acting some memorable roles. I always lump him in the same category as Ryan Gosling and Joseph Gordon-Levitt because they're the same age, they all started out as child actors, then grew into handsome men taking gritty roles that made people uncomfortable in successful attempts at breaking into the adult world of acting. Of the three, Foster is the best actor (blasphemy? Just put your pants back on and listen for a minute!). They have all done a wide array of roles, spanning from TV to indie to big-budget, but Foster seems to have the widest array of characters. His biggest problem is in the game of Boff, Marry, or Kill ninety-five percent of the time Foster is going to meet his untimely demise, while Gosling has a glorious fuckfest of a night, and Gordon-Levitt gets a lifetime of happiness. The cleanest (and I mean in hygienic sense of the word) role he has done is in Contraband. And even then, who would really want to get with that mess? He hasn't done a real rom-com or widely accessible movie like his competitors yet (Gordon-Levitt has 500 Days of Summer and 50/50. Gosling with Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Notebook). I'm not saying that Foster is ugly, either. He's actually a pretty good-looking guy, he's just too good at playing dirty, disgusting men.

Much like Schreiber, Foster will elevate a movie's quality. He helped Contraband, The Mechanic, and Alpha Dog from falling into a deep pit of sucking. He was also nice highlighting to Hostage, 3:10 to Yuma, and Pandorum. I would rewatch 30 Days of Night just for Foster's three minutes of screen time. Foster just doesn't have the popular notch in his résumé and I see this as the main reason he doesn't have a legion of fans. As far as the critics and awards go: he's had nominations, but not any major awards. He hasn't played a substantial enough role to break through onto this circus. I thought he deserved a nod for 3:10 to Yuma, essentially because he stole the show from Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, but Foster just didn't have enough screen time for a young actor. He's still has a long career in front of him, but I fear that it's going to follow much like Gary Oldman's in the lack of recognition.

       1) Michael Parks:

My other two picks were the guys when you don't recognize the name the face will bring it together. Michael Parks, on the other hand, is the one you won't recognize, either my name or face. And that's sort of the point. He's been around since the sixties doing a lot of lower budget projects, and it hasn't been until the last ten to fifteen years that he's gotten a pop culture infused name thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez with his character Earl McGraw (appearing in The Quick and the Dead, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Death Proof, and Planet Terror), but even then, he still flies under the radar. You'll be hard pressed to find someone who knows Parks by name.

The perfect way to sum Parks up is a anecdote from the Kill Bill movies. When they originally cast the movies Tarantino had picked Ricardo Montalban to play the role of Esteban Vihaio in Kill Bill: Vol 2, a pimp the Bride encounters right before meeting Bill face-to-face after all the fighting she's done. The pimp's role is short, but juicy. When the cast initially met to read through the scripts Montalban was unable to attend. Parks (who played McGraw in the first Kill Bill) spoke up and said he'd be willing to stand in for the missing actor and read the lines. Tarantino was so impressed by the way Parks played the role that he fired Montalban and recast Parks as Vihaio. The Quentin Tarantino fucking FIRED a guy so he could get Michael Parks to play dual roles in his movies. That's how good this guy is.

It's a shame Parks didn't get more recognition for his role as Albin Cooper in Kevin Smith's Red State. Say what you will about Smith and the movie, but no one will stand up and say Parks wasn't short of amazing in that movie, giving us a near perfect performance. He took a horrifying character (based on the real life Fred Phelps of the WBC) and brought a certain amount of dry humor that a small degree of humanism to an outright deplorable man, thus making the monster even scarier.

You can see Parks in the upcoming Argo, and you probably won't recognize him. 

So we've told you our picks. Now what are yours?